3M™ MicroTouch™ Controller EX USB Reference Guide  9 
 
3M Touch Systems, Inc.  Proprietary Information -- 29489v05 
CHAPTER 2 
Integrating the 3M™ MicroTouch™ EX USB 
Controllers 
The 3M™ MicroTouch™ EX USB controller provides a drop-in replacement for an 
existing controller with wide dynamic range, increased noise immunity, wide operating 
temperature stability, reprogrammability using software utilities and improved capability 
in ungrounded environments.  
The firmware for the EX121 and EX111 series USB controllers is optimized for surface 
capacitive sensors integrated in the latest displays. 
This chapter covers the following EX controller specifications: 
  Cable connections 
  Mounting requirements 
  Power requirements and options 
  Status LED codes 
Overview of the EX USB Controllers 
Note: For complete specifications for each of these EX USB controllers, refer to the 
appendices at the end of this manual. 
  The EX121 is available either cased or uncased for external or internal mounting.  
  The EX111 is available uncased without cable for mounting within a custom chassis.  
The EX II ASIC has a built-in Universal Serial Bus (USB) full speed interface. A full 
speed USB interface has a data rate of 12 Mb/s. The USB core in the ASIC was designed 
to USB specification revision 1.1 but is forward compatible with revision 2.0.  
A 25-point linearization procedure has been performed to determine the physical 
properties of the sensor, and the data is stored in a 2D bar code label attached to the flex 
tail. 
To integrate and test the EX USB controller, you need the following items: